HuntingNet.com Forums - The Angus Bull and me....

A few of my friends and I were hunting the Missourri Breaks in Montana this past fall. As those of you know that hunt that area, there are a few head of beef in that area. Now I had read quite a number of Pat McManus's books and knew his ideas about cows. I always chuckled about his supposed fear of cows... then I met some western cows.

One evening I was heading back to the truck. It was getting fairly dark and as I approached the hill where the truck was, I heard a bellowing and saw quite a bit of dust flying. I came up and low and behold there were two Angus bulls trying to figure out the dominence thing. 60+/- cows stood around cheering them on! usually they run around in groups of a dozen, laying land mines and just making a general nuisance of themselves.

So this was quite a sight! More groups of cows could be seen on the horizen hurrying our way. Guess they didn't want to miss the fun... or else they wanted to help the victor celebrate! Anyway, there I stood on one side of a barbed wire fence, all decked out in a ghillie suit. The cows were on the other side just having a party... right by the truck! I knew they must be western cows because the know a tailgate party can't happen without having a truck around and since I had so kindly supplied the truck... Anyway, while I stood there trying to figure out what to do, the one bull left in a big hurry. The victor stood there looking rather scornful.

It was all but totally dark by that time. I decided that cows are cows and since I grew up on a farm I be dinged if any cow is going to keep me out of my truck! I started toward the truck and slowly waved my arms when I got within thirty feet of them. They scattered as if the very legions of hell were after them.... all except of of them.... That cow slowly turned and looked at me... then I saw that big bell clapper 'tween his legs... he lowered his head... kicked dirt three times and then charged! I turned around and nonchalantly strolled back to the barb wire fence. A slipped through the wires and continued on down until I got to the woods. Once I got into the trees I looked behind me. The bull had stopped half way to the fence with a bewildered look like he was saying," I could swear that I saw a hunter in front of me a second ago!"

I told dad later," did you know that a full grown man wearing a ghillie suit, a backpack and carrying a bow, can be running at 60mph and not break stride while crossing a barbwire fence?!"

Remember those cows that had left in a hurry?? Now they all came rushing back. The ones in the back were pushing and shoving to get to the front. The ones in front were pushing and shoving to get to the back. It was glorious chaos. The bull just stood there bellowing real low and occasionally throwing dirt in the air like he was checking out the traction. The pushing and shoving died down a bit as the momma cows got to the back of the group and all the juvenile delinquents were at the front. The friggin' delinquents kept bumping each other like they were trying to egg each other one into approaching "the monster".

I wanted to get to the truck. I ran at them waving my arms they just backed up a bit... no running away from me this time... the bull just made a short rush in my direction. I decided I don't need to go to the truck right away after all.

I thought for a bit... Cussed for a bit... and then I remembered!!! the day before when I was hunting some stupid cows were following me around. I got tired of them and tried to chase them off... didn't work... they still followed me. So I kept walking until I reached a little gully. I had hopped down in the gully and ran 50 yards to the closest sage bush and hid. The cows had stopped at the gully and just looked around for a while with really dull and stupid expressions on the faces.... I decided to try this now. I walked up toward the fence and all the cows got really rambunctious again. All the juveniles were bumping into each other and seemed to be saying," you get him, no YOU get him!" Stupid juvenile delinquents... I guess some character traits are the same in all species. The bull just made some tossing motions with his head. Yeah, I understood him quite plainly!

I walked along the fence and they folowed me on there side of the fence. I went about 100 yards and then dropped down out of sight into the woods and hauled my tail back up to the truck. I got up there and not a cow was in sight! I hopped into the truck and fired up the engine. The headlights showed a group of eager cows heading my way again.

I felt like driving over them.

My cousin was back there a week later. He said that a piece of my ghillie suit was still hanging on the fence. He also said the prickly pear cactus that i had stuck my knee into was still there too.